Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Vanessa! Congratulations, Vanessa! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Hello-hello, and happy Saturday, sweet friend! I’m feeling unusually perky right now, which is weird because morning isn’t usually my best time of day (I’m lucky if I can hold a conversation involving monosyllabic answers before 9), but on rare occasions I wake up with a random burst of energy, WHEEEEE!

I have no idea how I’m going to be able to sit still in the car today… El Hub and I are driving up to Redding to visit his parents, and it’s about a four-hour drive. That’s a lot shorter than the trip across the Pacific ocean when they lived in Hawaii, but it’s still a trek.

We haven’t seen them in a while, so it should be fun. I invited Tabs, but he said he “already has plans with Beyonce and Jay-Z.” 🙂

What are your plans today? Whatever they are, I hope they involve entering this weekend’s Sephora eCard giveaway.

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”-Hana

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, have you ever found a foundation that matches your skin perfectly? Tell me about the jewelry you wear most often. What’s a lip color you wore a lot in high school? What do you want to be when you grow up? What’s one makeup or beauty product you can’t leave home without? Pancakes: buttermilk or fancy? — you get the idea.

Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:

Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/MAZ7dI

The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 22, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).

Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.

A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.

Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).

Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.

Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.

The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.

Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Vanessa! Congratulations, Vanessa! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! / Originally published July 21st, 2012

Yesterday I went on a mission to find a foundation that perfectly matched my skin. I left the house bare faced (gasp) and high-tailed it to Nordstrom. Well, of course I had to pick the weekend of the anniversary sale, right?! I tried the Chanel counter, Estee Lauder, NARS, nobody was available to help me. So I walked right across the way to Neiman Marcus (geez, that place is like museum) to try out the often raved about Giorgio Armani foundations. Well, after getting over the lameness of the sales guy (can’t call him an MUA because he appeared to know nothing about the products) I found what I thought was perfect UNTIL I went outside. I looked like an oompa loompa. So, the search continues…

I’m a bit of a goof about jewelry. I most often wear the same things ( wedding set, sterling silver studs, a nice ring and a watch) but I LOVE trendy/chunky jewelry. I recently purchased the huge bulky Topshop necklace that everyone in the UK is wearing. So not an easy thing to wear frequently, but so lovely!

I currently use Makeup Forever foundation, which matches my skin tone pretty closely. I’m curious about BB creams, but I hear they offer only light-to-barely medium coverage. Eva Chen (Teen Vogue makeup/beauty editor) just tweeted about CC creams being the ‘hot new thing’ – they supposedly offer more coverage. Can’t wait to hear more about them!

Wow! Sounds like you will have a fun trip to see your in-laws 🙂 We were supposed to go on a big motorcycle ride today, but it got rained out, so we are going for a drive instead. The staycation has been pretty good so far!

hi karen, long time reader, first time post 🙂 foundation is such a toughie for me, i’m usually between nc42-45 in mac, but i have to balance among all those shades, otherwise i look ghostly or overly tan! right now mufe hd foundation in 153, topped with a light dusting of mac studio fix in nc45 seems to be a good match, for which i’m very grateful 🙂

I wore a lot of light pink lipstick in high school, because that was all I had! I inherited several tubes of GWP Dior lipsticks from my mom (back in the day when they had lots of GWPs), all in the exact same shade of shimmery light pink. I still have a few tubes of that lipstick hanging around in my stash.

Best match is NARS Mont Blanc – still looking for a perfect match! Enjoy your trip – I love a good road trip! What?! You want me to choose just one kind of pancake – buttermilk is good but so are buckwheat, chocolate chip, banana, banana with chocolate chips, blueberry, whole wheat, you get the idea!!!

The NHL owners vs players are so far apart, I’m worried this year might be another lockout. Which throws my “3 weeks in the USA” trip out the window. I had shopping planned in addition to those hockey games!

I’ve never found a foundation that matches my skin perfectly. so I resigned myself to using MAC MSFN in Light Plus (not a perfect match but I’ve given up) and concealer. I also struggle finding liquid foundations that don’t break me out, which is another reason why I just use the powder.

Hi Karen, happy weekend to you! I love jewelry but I am definitely obsessed with earrings, I cannot even tell you how many pairs I have and I’d never leave the house without wearing a pair (unless I am going to get the mail from the mail box:))

I just found my perfect foundation. I ordered it online without trying it. The RMK foundation in 102. I love swedish pancakes swimming in maple syrup and I want to do the my dream hike the Tour du Mont Blanc next year, It’s a 100 mile hike that circles the Mont Blanc Massif. It starts in Switzerland passes through Italy, France and back to Switzerland.

High School Lipstick: Max Factor Ultralucent Whipped Cream in Chocolate Cherry. A semi-sheer with just a hint of sparkle. Discontinued in the last century. I still have my last used-up tube. Wish they would bring it back–it was perfection.

Foundation is hard for me to match perfectly as I am frighteningly pale! Currently my closest match is the MUFE HD foundation in 110, but I can’t get it to last very long, no matter what primers or setting powders I use. So I’m still searching for my perfect foundation.

Hi Karen! Happy Saturday! I’ve been loving the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz (Thanks to your post!). It is an almost perfect match to my skin tone. Plus the coverage is great & it works with my oily skin. Hope you’re having a fabulous weekend! 🙂

I stopped wearing foundation awhile ago. Partly because I could never find a perfect match, but mostly because I was tired of smothering my acne-prone skin. I just decided to give it up and go out bare-faced, scars and all! Now, I just use moisturizer + SPF and it is much easier!

I am SO EXCITED about this giveaway! Thanks a lot, it’s very generous of you! I love your blog 🙂
I’ve been wanting the Naked 2 pallet since it came out and I can’t imagine what’d it’d be like to actually own one, since I cannot afford it. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity, I really appreciate it.

My skin tone changes so drastically season to season that if I find a foundation that matches me perfectly in February, it will be way too light by July! So I tend to stick to sheerer products, or stuff that I can layer (tinted moisturizer + various colors of powder, for example) to adjust according to whatever color my skin is this month.

Tried a nice sheer foundation by Trish McEvoy called Even Skin Foundation. Loving it as much as the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. Going to the Ann Arbor Art Fair in a couple of minutes… Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend 🙂

One of my earliest lippies was a green colored one of some local brand! It was that pH color changing lipstick that gave a pretty pink when I wore it!!! It was then called a ‘Magic Lipstick’! Lolz!Mitr Friend recently posted … Gandhi Bracelet

When we were little my mom was a healthfood fanatic, and we only had organic blue corn pancakes – very crunchy and very flat. So these days as long as a pancake is fluffy and made with flour, I’m happy:)Clare @ The Blossom Shed recently posted … Giveaway! Win a Sumptuous Face Oil from Suti…

I so need some of that energy sent my way! Third trimester fatigue is back, so naps are my partial recharge lately. Desperately wanting to go to the anniversary sale right now at Nordstrom, but with the opening of the new Batman movie, the parking lot at the mall is likely packed like it’s Black Friday. Probably going to be better to go during the week.

My perfect foundation match was the now discontinued Tarte Smooth Operator in Incognito -now I have to mix 2 shades together to get a match. I’m not big on jewelry but I always wear round diamond stud earrings -they’re timeless and appropriate for all occasions. I always loved Cargo’s lipgloss duo in Bora Bora. I am training to be a trained therapist. I always have an assortment of chapstick or lipgloss in my purse. Lastly, I prefer waffles to pancakes.

I found a perfect foundation match with the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra before they changed it to a 24 hour formula. I haven’t needed to buy a new one yet, but I hoping the formula change doesn’t mean the shades changed too. Although they probably did and I’ll have to search for the perfect one yet again.

Hi! I think my twinadoes are just as much beauty junkies as i am! We just left a fun store where they got to make their own bubble bath and bath scrub! They even picked out the scents they wanted to put in (lavender and cupcake – yum or gross depending how you look at it) topped with sparkles and bath toys! All inside their bottle of bubble bath! Ok that was random! Love your blog! xoxo Carla

Have a great time in Redding! Sometimes a road trip is the the best way to de-stress, so enjoy it! I’d have to say I always have my diamond studs in that I got for Valentine’s day over 5 years ago! I just love them! He’s even had them upgraded once during those years, so I can’t complain! 😉

I live in L.A. and there is this place called Fred 62 in Los Feliz that has the most incredible pancakes… They are called the “Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Love Pancake” and they are like a crazy explosion of flavor!
It is a flapjack with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and banana with caramel sauce… AhhhhhMazing!

I might be hungry or something… So I chose to comment you about some pancakes… but, hey… You did ask!
🙂
Also, I love Cargo Cosmetic’s liquid foundation… It matches perfectly and wears really well! Plus it’s oil free and some “good for the skin” ingredients and such!
Happy Saturday Karen and Tabs!

At school i had an outdoor girl lipstick that i can only describe as a browny red colour.
I love american pancakes with maple syrup on top. I just think they are nicer than our pancakes which are thinner and bigger.

I’ve been trying out my older sister’s NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska, but it’s a bit too dark for me. I look like I have a tan when I wear it! (I hate looking tan, so that’s a bad thing.)

I want to try the shade Finland, but hopefully it isn’t too yellow for me (I’ve seen some online swatches where it looks a bit yellow). I’m very cool-toned, so anything with the slightest hint of a warm/yellow undertone looks terrible on me and makes me look sickly.

Finding a perfect match for foundation is the bane of my existence. Seriously – I don’t think it is possible. So I flip flop, cause I love change, between MAC NW 25 for the Summer and Bobbi’s Warm Beige 2.5. Then on the weekends BE cause I am lazy and need less. Or I do nothing at all, but my skin has post acne scarring. So it works…for now. 😉

I keep my jewelry simple most of the time, just some earrings and my class ring. However, I love to layer jewelry and mix up trends when going out! I love the look of lots and lots bracelets, but since I am a major lover of hand motions, I tend to get annoyed by all the jingling. Fashion vs. reality 🙁

gosh i hardly wear jewelry anymore growing up i had those gold hoop earring i wore all the time and a jade pendent necklace (you guess it, Asian:) so after high school i ditched all and started wearing fashion jewelry, now i just wear the two bangles from the set of 7 (back to asain jewelry:) I few guilty buying accessories

I am trying to wear more jewelry right now since I feel that it adds more to my outfit. I am currently loving this bangle I recently got from inpink, it adds sparkle to my outfits.Anita recently posted … Swagbucks – Search & Win

my neighbor’s massively alcoholic ex husband randomly showed up today (like, passed out in the front lawn while carrying a case of beer into the house at least once a week kind of drunk). he just walked into my house and his dog (boston terrier) attacked mine (black lab). luckily no one was hurt but wtf! i will be keeping my doors locked from now on.

I found the perfect foundation *formula* for my skin – still working on finding the correct shade. My skin is combo – normal everywhere BUT my forehead, which is quite oily. I’ve also got a few lines and a wrinkle or two. I’ve fallen in love with Milani’s Cream-to-Powder foundation, as the silica in the formula helps to keep the oilies away and I really like the fact that it’s buildable, doesn’t look cakey, and has a matte finish. No need for setting powder! Very similar to BeneFit’s Some Kind-a Gorgeous, but less than 1/3 the price. Gotta love THAT!

I have freckles and I like them to show, so foundation is a no-go – I just blend a green concealer in really well on blemishes and go.

When I was in high school though, I was really gothy, so I always wore white foundation with black or purple lipstick. I still like dark lipstick (including purple – Illamasqua Kontrol is my HG), but I’ve branched out into bright reds/oranges/warm pinks as well.

I used to have this lip gloss trio with a dark color, a pink gloss and a frosted white for highlight. I used to just wear the dark as a liner and the white as my main color. Add a dark black eyeliner job and a couple of bindis. I thought I was Gwen Stefani.

The best foundation match for my skin that I’ve found is Estee Lauder’s Powder Makeup in Ecru. I’m very pale so it’s hard to get a shade light enough, but that one is pretty much perfect.eight recently posted … One Hand Washes the Other Lip Butter Review

I’m grown up already but,but I want to be a makeup artist when I grow up LOL. If i’m lucky enough to win this I would put the gift card towards a Make Up For ever 12 Flash Color Case for my Kit. An essential for adjusting foundation colors, color correcting, use as an eyeshade base and custom blending lip and cheek color. Building my kit is expensive, I really hope I wi but good luck to everyone! 🙂

Heyyy! 🙂
So I usually wear Mac Liquid Foundation since it has great coverage, however I’m all out and I wanted to try a new foundation that was more natural looking but had great coverage. Any suggestions?
Have a great Sat!! 😉

Your beauty blog has turned me on to tinted moisturizer! I am loving the Sonia Kashuk Radiant in Honey! If I won the sephora e-gift card I would definitely put the money towards either the Nars tinted moisturizer or laura mercier, because I am a college student who manages my money properly and went with the more affordable (Kashuk) brand. I would love to use the high quality brands that are available in Sephora!

I am also in the process of making a mind map about my life/goals/weekly accomplishments. I really appreciate your blog!

I don’t leave the house without some sort of eye makeup, preferably mascara. Lips can be bitten to give color. Cheeks can be pinched to show a rosy hue. Eyes, however, need to be punched to resemble a black smokey look. That is why eye make up is a must for me.

I always wear a silver chain with two rings on it – my grandad’s wedding ring made by my grandma, who was a jeweller by trade, and a silver and brass one my mum made at evening class when I was at school. They hold a lot of sentimental value for me so I like to keep them close 🙂

There is a walmart next to the home depot (my kitchen faucet sprung a leak) so I went the equivalent of makeup dumpster diving…. I bought an eyeshadow palette at walmart. AND I LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! “The gods must be crazy”

For the past year, I have pretty much worn the same two rings on my right hand: a Tiffany & Co sterling silver heart ring on the ring finger, and a sterling silver puzzle ring that I bought last summer in Florence, Italy.

Thanks for the giveaway ðŸ‘ I like buttermilk pancakes. I’m also excited for Occ lip tars arriving at Sephora! Can’t try to try them. No
such thing as too much makeup ðŸ’„Lol. Have a great rest of the day & Sunday ðŸ˜ƒ

I never leave home without sporting a pair of silver hoop earrings — my signature jewelry. And when I was a teenager, I was all about the Bonnie Bell Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers and Maybelline Kissing Potion. Yes, I’ve just totally betrayed my age…

The only “jewelry” I wear daily and never take off is my wedding band 🙂
It’s a beautiful ring, my husband has the same, and when we saw them we just knew they were gonna be ours!Lulle recently posted … EOTD: Purple & orange

Hi Karen and Tabs! Well I always wish I could accessorize with jewelry more, but even when I buy trendy pieces I never wear them. I tend to stick to very simple silver jewelry. I don’t really have any set plans for today, but I’m ready to tell the boyfriend that we should go to IHOP for some pancakes haha.

Whenever I discover a new brand that I love, I always go overboard!! Right now my favourite cosmetics are from RMK and Maquillage. Love your blog, it always makes interesting reading, and your handsome kitty too 🙂

I have extremely sensitive/acne-prone skin and I just switched my mineral makeup from Everyday Minerals to Mineral Hygienics since EDM has an additive that caused my skin to break out. I’m totally loving MH so far and I’m learning to be more informed about different ingredients in makeup. It’s kind of fun to find indie makeup companies!

Other than the tiny diamond studs I wear in my second ear piercings (which I only remove to clean) I wear my diamond right hand ring most often. Although I don’t wear it when I’m just around the house I never leave home without it!

My best foundation match is still makeup forever! Recently I purchased hourglass and it’s just ok – better than most foundations but I am disappointed with the length of coverage. MUF takes me all through the day and into the evening. I need to touch up hourglass in about four hours.

Ohhh, I wish I found a foundation that matches my skin perfectly! I’m really fair-skinned, so the majority of lines just don’t have anything that light. The worst was when I went into MAC, and one of the artists basically told me to go get a tan!

I use airbrush foundation and none of the colors of the brand that I use match me completely, so I mix two. I like it that way better because I can easily adjust for a tan. When I’m not using airbrush, I use Bare Minerals and Fairly Light matches me exactly.

The product I can’t leave home without is my YSL concealer, when i apply it under eyes , it illuminates my face and makes my tired eyes look awake…which will certainly come in more handy once I have my baby boy in a few weeks with all those sleepless nights that are coming!

I never leave the house without lipstick since I’ve been trying to showcase my lips more often. Ironically, the more subdued MLBB colors rather than bright reds and pinks are the ones I wipe off more readily hoping nobody saw me wearing it.

Oh…if I won I would have a tough time deciding between picking up that Smoked palette by UD, the Clarin’s sunscreen I need, or…NARS lipstick in Autumn Leave with some other goodie. It’s almost time for my monthly Sephora order too – i always pick up a tub of Josie’s Maran’s body lotion each month but try to time it with a good promotion or 100 point item…so this gift certificate would be stellar.

Hey Karen! Happy Saturday! Yesterday, I was asked to write the welcome/introduction thing to my grad school’s student handbook for next year’s class. I honestly don’t know what to say… though I’m definitely sneaking some humor in there someplace. I think I’ll work on it tonight sitting outside on the patio with my flowers (I guess I’m a crazy plant lady?). Anyway, enjoy your weekend!

Unfortunately, the only time I’ve found a foundation that matches perfect is during the summer when I’m tanned. It was a complete fluke and it only matched for about two days. Luckily, I really don’t wear foundation often so I don’t have to worry about it. 🙂

Please Karen, make this Sephora gift card mine.. at least once.. I am travelling to India after 3 years and 2 kids and after 50 lbs of weight loss ..and I want to shop , shop & shop .. $50 is sure not enough , but will boost up my spirits further 😉 .. Thanks

Nope have not found the perfect foundation for me 🙁 … Still searching for the right one. Can’t wait to see your review and swatches for the upcoming UD foundation!! 🙂 and right now I am loving Korres pomegranate lip butter 🙂

I honestly have yet to find my perfect foundation. I’m really interested in trying out the Laura Mercier BB Cream. I typically wear little face makeup, so the idea of something that improves my skin while I’m wearing it is certainly enticing!

i can’t believe i haven’t had a watch for like 8 years now! It became pointless after i started just checking the time on my blackberry but now i’m starting to miss having a watch… thinking about picking up a fossil or michael kors watch… hmmmm

hey karen! i saw your post on point reyes and it inspired me to check that area out because i haven’t been there since i was a little. i’m going to sculptured beach w/ my bf tomorrow and hoping to see some cool sea things in the tide pools. thanks for reminding me of this special place!!!

This mommy needs some new makeup!! My spare time used to be spent adding new items to my makeup collection, now my time is spent changing diapers and chasing around my toddlers. By the way any quick makeup tips for a busy mommy?!

The shade of foundation I’ve found to match my skin PERFECTLY is Bobbi Brown’s Oil-Free compact (what I started out wearing) or Natural FInish Long Lasting Foundation (what I wear now) in Beige. The color is so perfect that even though the finish is not 100% to my liking (my face looks like I fell in a tub of grease just a few hours later), I still wear it. Luckily, she just released the new Long-Wear version, so I am ALL over that one!Becca @ The Beauty Sample recently posted … The Sample: NEW Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 68 Troublant Review & Swatches

I HAD found the perfect foundation for me.. it was Loreal’s true match in shade W7 and it was absolutely perfect! It had the right amount of yellowness to match me.. but unfortunately, Loreal has repackaged/reformulated the foundation and the new W7 seems a little too pink for me now! argh.. back to the drawing board again!

Love your blog and love Sephora so this is fun!!:) … The one beauty product I cannot leave the house without is my tinted moisturizer with SPF! On a daily basis when I don’t have too much time to do my make up I just use that with concealer under my eyes, a volumizing Mascara, tinted lip balm and a little bit of blush/bronzer:)

I swear, I have the hardest time finding a foundation that matches me perfectly. The best one I have is the MUFE MAT Velvet + and its still a bit darker than my natural shade. Also, its so hard to find a foundation that has strong yellow tones to match my Asian skin 🙁

I’ve really been loving the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream! It’s so lightweight and it really works well on my combination skin. I reviewed it on my YouTube channel if anyone is interested: http://youtube.com/user/oohheynicolle. Thanks for the giveaway Karen!

I think I need a 12 step program for my nail polish obsession. I sneak a peek at blogs all day, checking new collections and swatches. And I can’t leave a beauty or drugstore without a new bottle. The one brand I don’t have (and need): Sephora OPI 😉

I have had the hardest time with foundation i am so pale!! Unfortunately I don’t live near a MAC store, but one day I will find one so I can have a shade 🙂 I just bought some foundation from Sephora. I use Makeup For Ever Studio HD Foundation 110 mixed with their primer #2 in mauve. I find that the shade works very well and the foundation feels great!

nope,i have not found a foundation that matches my skin perfectly,ever..
i usually shop online,swatches can be misleading though.
and….if i go get matched by the girls in the dept store,i will look great only when i’m in the store,mostly because of the lightning!

My favorite lip products in high school probably all had glitter in them; silver glitter lipstick, lip gloss with iridescent glitter…if it sparkled I wanted it! It was the late 90’s/early 00’s, what can I say?

Mac Studio fix powder in NC 20 is a perfect match for me and i especially love it applied over Prep and Prime skin. My face stays mostly oil free for hours even in 90 degree heat. And i love that the studio fix can be applied lightly for sheer coverage or built up to create a flawless matte finish.

I love cats! It is my dream to one day own a Scottish Fold breed. They are soooo adorable! As for foundation, I have never found a perfect match as they are usually too pink or too yellow. I really am a neutral.

I recently found out I’m lactose intolerant, and promptly rushed to Costco to buy a bunch of lactase pills. Unfortunately, they can’t completely solve my problems, but for cheese, I’m willing to put up with some discomfort!

Hi Karen,
I never found a foundation that is perfect for my skin, neither colorwise nor texturewise, boo! I just wear my tiny earrings that my good friend brought me from India everyday, I never take them off and I’d cry a river if I ever lose them…
Pancakes? I love the ones my Mom makes, we here in Germany prepare them in a different way and my Mom just makes the yummiest ones 😉
Have a great week 🙂
PS: I really love your blog!

Still struggling to find my perfect summer foundation. :/ I hate summer for this reason! My mom actually pulled me aside at a family dinner to express her concern over my too light foundation color. The next day I ran to Nordstrom, and the MAC associate recommended me to just use a darker powder. I ended up with a powder that made me look like an oompa loompa..which reminds me, I still need to return that. The quest continues…

I’ve worn the heck out of my Labello (I guess Nivea in the US) pearly shine lipbalm… it’s just a nice cool but toned down, kind of grayish/mauvish pearly color… on my lips, though, other people claim it’s too frosty on them… not on me :D.

I can’t remember the name of the lip color I wore all the time in high school, only that it was this deep, saturated berry gloss that looked fantastic (not) against my approximately NW10 skin. If I’d been a goth maybe it would have been okay, but I dressed like a total hippie. Oh, high school me. What were you thinking?

In high school I wore a lip smackers gloss in pink lemonade a lot. It smelled so good and I loved the light pink sparkle. I’m tempted to go out and see if it’s still carried in stores. Wearing it would be quite a trip down memory lane!

I always wear the charm bracelet my boyfriend got me for Mother’s Day while he was deployed. He had to work together with my mom to get it. It meant a lot. Even though he was gone, he was still able to make it feel like he was home.

It’s my birthday today! Turned 26. I thought I’d have my life figured out by 26 but that’s not really the case. But I’m starting to think that’s okay and we don’t have to have everything figured out in our lives 🙂

Hi Karen! I just discovered your blog about a month ago and have been obsessed and on it nonstop! Lolz! I’m going to be in a lot of trouble when I go back to uni! Anyways thanks for doing what you do…I don’t think I’ll ever buy another makeup product, before consulting your blog. 🙂

I read this last night but was on the road. Coincidentally I do happen to have a yesterday uber fabby make-up find. As many other women, finding the perfect foundation is a difficulty but I think my woes have been solved. I was in Chicago visiting my sister and went to the Pro Store at Lincoln Park neighborhood. Being a latina I have olive skin but am very fair resisting tanning and wearing SPF religiously {on my face at least} but my fathers half is fair haired blondes with pink tones so there ya go both warm and cool toned~ neutral. Did you know that MAC now makes something called matchmaker that is supposedly pigment in a clear emulsion? Of course you do since you blogged about it. Seriously my skin perfected. I am so super duper happy. Although… re-reading your review I am not tempted to check out the Chanel. Eek! Color me matchmaker 1.0 … that is light o.0

omg, do I struggle with foundation matching. Everything I’ve got is a little close but not entirely perfect. Some of my favorites are the Nars TM in St. Moritz (just a teensy bit too yellow), a Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in Beige 40 (a bit too white), MAC Face and Body in C4 (I can’t seem to apply it right these days) and MAC Matchmaster in 3.0 (a bit too perfect looking; I think it’s too opaque for what I like). There’s a really great shade of Tarte Smooth Operator I recently tried out (I think it’s Shade 14); I’ve recently obtained the full size of it (it’s in the mail, however…), and I think that one might just be absolutely perfect. Please cross your fingers and er paws for me!

Karen you are a woman after my own heart. I saw the photo and list of your items to take on a weekend trip and I had to laugh. It always amazes every one but me on the number of products that are necessary. 🙂

I’m a college senior who’s planning on moving in with (and marrying, at some point) my boyfriend, who just moved to California for work. I went to brunch with my parents today, and when my mom asked if my BF and I have plans for the future, I told them our plans. Bear in mind, I have somewhat overbearing South American parents who made life really difficult for me when I was younger, so imagine my shock when they suggested that I move directly in with him post-graduation. Shocked and so, so happy that they finally consider me an adult who’s capable of making her own decisions without consulting them first. (I’m 24 and this is the first time in life I’ve felt this much trust from them.) I think they’re just excited that one of their children is potentially going to give them grand-babies in the near future, since my older brother is still searching on that front.

Today is my first day without my aunts cat that I was babysitting for 2 months while she was in another country! I grew really attached and I miss her like crazy… They took her back home when they got back from their trip, atleast I can still visit, but I definitely miss her!!!!Nikki recently posted … Butter London Teddy Girl Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches

I recently purchased Jemma Kidd Light as Air FOundation and love the finish it gives my skin but hate that it is so much darker than what I expected. I may try to buy a different color or just a different brand…any suggestions? Also, I would love to win!

I wore some heinous color clothing and makeup in Jr. High…OMG. I looked back at some pictures. I also teased my bangs up in a big bear claw looking thing on my head. Thanks for another giveaway contest!

I wish I could pull off purple lipstick. I’m super fair skinned & I see all these lovely ladies looking fab in purple lipstick & it tempts me to go out & buy one for myself! Maybe just to dress up with at home… Haha. 🙂

I just saw “The Amazing Spiderman” and fell in love with Emma Stone’s “Gwen Stacey” look. It’s so fresh and innocent and beautiful. I went to Sephora and purchased the Clinique Chubby Stick in Whoppin’ Watermelon. Looks pretty close to what I saw on Emma Stone in the movie. I need the gift card so I can complete the rest of her look! Ha!

The jewellery I wear most often is a metal wrap and turquoise necklace that I purchased from an artisan in Buenos Aires. It so pretty, I wish I’d gotten another one!
Thanks for the contest 🙂 it would be awesome if I won as Saturday night I backed my dads car into another car and the damage is going to cost me over $1000. Won’t be buying any makeup for a while!